Portable cleaning-machine



S. B. PACK.

PORTABLE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1912, 1,339,280. Patented May 4, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

S. B. PACK PORTABLE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 15, 1912- May 4 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

S. B. PACK.

PORTABLE CLEANING MACHINE.

APPLICATlON FILED JUNE 15, I912.

1,339,280. Patented May 4,1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3- q vi tneoozo UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL B. PACK, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR T0 PACKMORE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PORTABLE CLEANING-MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4. 1920.

i Application filed June 15, 1912. Serial No. 703,908.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL B. PACK, a citizen of the United States, residing at \Vashington, in the'District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Cleaning-Machines,

first to reduce to practical commercial form a self-contained manually operated pneumaticcleaning machine of the type just referred to where the propelling handle serves as the means for operating the suction device, and secondly, to simplify the construction of portable suction cleaning machines generally where bellows or diaphragm pumps are employed by minimizing the number of parts, and rendering such machines more durable and economical to manufacture. To this end, 1 provide a peculiar form of casing or body adapted to contain the dust drawn into the machine, and to also hold a diaphragm of unusual size in a peculiar and durable manner, and which serves as the suction'creating device.

Anoth'er special object has been to make such machines small and compact, and yet provide an ample and substantial suctior. creating means.

Another special object of .my invention has been to devise a machine embodying a cleaning mechanism of the vacuum or suction class and also of the brush or agitating type. In carrying out this feature of the invention, the brush cleaner is so mounted on the body 'orcasing of the machine, that the latter may be propelled readily without effective operation of the brush element, though the suction cleaner is actuated, a mere variation in the pressure exerted upon the handle by the operator resulting in an adjustment of the suction head or nozzle of the machine, to thereby cause a combined action of the suction and brush cleaning devices. In this Way, the efiicient operation of the invention may be controlled at will by the operator to produce the best results or, in other words, only such action of the cleaning means as may be necessary under different conditions of service, for, as is Well known, there are times when the suc-- tion cleaner alone is ample for complete cleaning purposes.

Still another, but minor object of my invention has been the provision of a special carrier for the dust bag or receptacle and which has thereon a suction controlling valve adapted to be removed along with the carrier for purposes of repair, or the like,

and to afford access to interior parts of the machine. v

Among other features of novelty of my present improvements are the use of a peculiarly mounted diaphragm as part of the suction creating devices, adapted for single or double-acting functions in respect to causing a suction through the nozzle of the machine, an advantageous relative mounting of the operating handle and said diaphragm to derive simultaneous operation of the same, and the provision of conveniently operable means for holding the various parts of the machine in proper operative positions.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a suction and brush cleaning machine embodying the essential features of the invention, the operating handle being broken away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan View.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective View of the removable dust bag holder and valve carrier.

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing a modified embodiment of the machine wherein the suction creating diaphragm is double-acting.

Throughout the following detail descrip tion and on the several figures of the drawings, similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

the machine is denoted at A and is a hollow lower end with a lug 11 on the nozzle 7 and I the flange l structure composed of the upper section 1 and the lower section 2. The sections 1 and 2 are provided at their adjacent edges with the body A and carried by the section 1 of' the latter. The nozzle 7, so far as the pres.- ent invention is concerned may be of any conventional type. As illustrated it has telescopic connection with the coupling head, and a coiled spring 9 is interposed between the parts, 7 and 8, tending to separate them and operating to hold the nozzle in yielding engagement with the floor or other surface to be cleaned. A catch 10 secured to the coupling head 8 engages at its limits the downward movement of said noz zle, and an interlocking connection is provided between the nozzle and the lower front portion of the body A consisting of former nozzle.

The coupling head 8 comprisesa tubular body, the lower portion of which, 8", fits into the upper tubular extension of the nozzle, and a plate 8, to fit against and close an opening formed in thefront end of the section 1 of the body A.- Fitting in the uppermost portion of said section 1 is the dust bag holder and valve carrier 12, consisting of a receptacle which tapers toward its inner end. and has at its outer open "end a rim 12', as shown clearly in Fig, 6, said rim fitting snugly against the edge of the front opening of the section 1 and being clamped in such position to hold the car-- rier properly in place in the body A by means of a locking bail 13. The bail 13 is pivoted to the body A as shown at 13 and its cross bar is adapted to directly engage with the cams 14 formed on the outer side of the plate 8 of the coupling head, whereby to'tightly clamp the latter along with the part 12 in the position'shown in Fig. 4. The plate 8 of-the coupling head isin direct engagement also with the outer end 15 of the frame 15". of the dust bag 15,

the latter being adapted to fit snugly within the holder or carrier 12 and having its open end in communication with-the hollow portion of the coupling head 8 so that the dust or foreign matter drawn into the nozzle will pass readily to the .dust bag 15 in a "manner which will be described more fullyhereinafter. At theinner extremity of the part and U-shaped lug 7", the projecting rearwardly from the provided in the tion between the diaphragmand the casing I is thus obtained. The iaphragm' is connected at its front end with a pivot member 19, the ends of which are journaled in and project through hearings in the sides of the section 2 of the casing A and said 2 ends or extremities are of. a form to interlock with correspondingly shaped openin s in the ends 21 of the bail or fork 20 whic constitutes the lower section or portion of the handle 21. Thediaphragm 18 therefore has a pivotal or swinging movement in the casing A and near the free end portion of the diaphragm are formed a plurality of openings or apertures 22, which are normally closed by the valve 23. The arrange ment of the diaphragm H within the casing A as shown .is advantageous since-it forms spaces or chambers respectively above and below the said diaphragm, the upper space receiving certain parts hereinbefore described and the whole arrangementbeing production of 'a minimum' conducive to thg; sized'casing or ody for the machine. The bottom section of the casing A is formed- "with downwardly projecting hollowextensions 2 in the sides of which are journaled "the axles 24 of the wheels 6, said axles being arranged in slotted bearings and being engaged by springs 25 whereby the casing is yieldingly mounted upon the wheels 6.

Pivoted pans 26 are carried by the extensions 2' of the casing and intermediate the extensions 2 and pans 26 is mounted the cleaning or sweeping brush 27, journaled in brackets 28 of the casing A. Said brush 27 is adapted to perform the function of the brush of an ordinary carpet sweeper but is normally maintained in a position in which it only has a very light contact with the surface traversed by the machine or none at all, by means of the spring pressed, yielding suction nozzle 7 and the wheels 6 which are located at the opposite sides of the brush. If desired, the dust bag holder and valve carrier.12 may have the rim 12' thereof notched, as shown'at 12", to interlock With a lug 29 formed on the front extremity of the casing A to assist the operator in removing the same. 7 g machine such as described the suction-creating devices are Worked as the casing is 12 is a valve 16 arranged to open and close moved backward and forward, the pivot 18 and to the handle 21 so that as the machine is worked back and forth over a carpet, rug, or other surface to be cleaned, the operator will naturally impart to' said handle an up and down movement. Said up and down movement of the handle 21 causes the same to act as a lever, and imparts to the diaphragm 18 an up and down movement, a suction being createdthrough the head 8, bag 15 which is of porous material, and valved openings 17, during the downward movement of the diaphragm. As the diaphragm 18 moves upwardly, the valve 23 opens and as the diaphragm moves downwardly, said valve closes, any air previously drawn into the lower portion of the casing A beneath the diaphragm being expelled from the casing A in the downward movement of said diaphragm through a suitable valved opening 30. Should the operator desire to utilize both the suction and brush cleaning means, a greater pressure than ordinarily used would be exerted upon the handle 21, whereupon the suction nozzle 7 and wheels 6 will yield upwardly to such an extent that the brush 27 will engage the surface operated upon for effective cleaning action simultaneous with the suctioncleaning action obtained through said nozzle. It may be noted that the location of the point of connection of the handle 21 with the front end of the machine and at a point intermediate the nozzle 7 and brush 27 is important in controlling not only the operation of the suction device but in facilitating the application of pressure at the proper portion of the casing of the machine to regulate the combined operation of the vacuum and brush cleaning instrumentalities.

When the dust bag 15 is ready to be emptied, the operator simply raises the.

locking bail 13 and'detaches the coupling head 8 with its nozzle 7, the dust bag being then accessible for removal from the part 12. The part 12, of course, will only be removed when it, is desired to have access to its valve 16, or tothe diaphragm 18 and other interior parts of the casing A.

In the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 7, the general construction previously described is followed quite closely except that an inclined partition 31' is provided in the upper section 1 of the casing and the dust bag holder and valve carrier. 12 is dispensed with. In this con struction also, the diaphragm 18 is double-- acting or adapted to create a suction through the nozzle, both on its upward and downward movements, for which purpose a suction valve 32 is provided to control openings in the partition 31, and a second suction valve 33 is provided to control openings at the front extremity of the lower section 2 of the casing A. A by-pass34: leads downwardly in the front end of the casing A from the inner extremity of the coupling head 8 and at a point beneath the dust bag 15. Suitable outlet valves 35 and 36 are provided for the sections 1 and 2, respectively, of the casing A and are located, at the rear end of the machine at points respectively above and below the diaphragm 18. On upward movement of the diaphragm by the handle 21, suction is created from beneath the diaphragm through the by-pass 34 and the openings controlled by the valve 33, while on the downward movement of the diaphragm, suction is created through the valved openings of the partition 31; Parts used in the modification of Fig. 7 and which are substantially the same as employed in the previously described construction, are numbered similarly to the parts of the latter.

It will be seen that in both forms of the invention thus far described there are two compartments in the casing, in one of which is located the filter or dust bag, and in the other the movable diaphragm connected at its edges with the walls of the casing; and that the compartment in which is located the dust bag tapers toward the rear while the other compartment tapers toward the front, the pivot about which the diaphragm turns being located in the forward and narrow portion of the compartment containing the pumping diaphragm. Thisis a very desirable arrangement for several reasons. In the first place it utilizes the capacity of the casing to great advantage, since the end of the dust bag that communicates with the nozzle head should be large and the flaring or large end of the compartment in which it is located is, in the constructions described, toward the front. Again, that portion of the diaphragm which is toward the rear re uires much more space for its movements t an does its pivoted end, and hence the latter can be located to advantage in the tapering end of the pump compartment. And, further still, .it is of advantage to have the rock shaft constituting the pivot of the oscillating diaphragm, to which the handle 21 is connected, well toward the front of the machine, as has been stated, and this is secured in the arrangement being described.

In 'the. operation of the invention as a combined suction and brush cleaner, it will be apparent that the front sweeper wheels and nozzle 7 will yield to a greater extent than the rear sweeper wheels 6, when pres- ]sure is exerted upon the handle 21 to bring thetbrush into action. I do not in this application claim the operation' of the suction-creating devices in a portable carpet cleaner such as illustrated herein, by a pivoted vertically swinging handle that is employed for propelling the machine back and forth over the carpet, as

that subject matter is presented and claimed in another application filed by David P. Moore and myself as joint inventors on the 29th day of January, 1910, and bearing Serial No. 540,795.,

Having thus described the inverition,

what is claimed as new is:

1. In a portable floor-cleaning machine, a wheel-supported casing carrying a suction nozzle, a pump diaphragm pivotally sup;

ported near one end of the casing and hav-' ing marginal flexible portions that are secured to the two sides of the casing andto that end which is opposite the end at which the diaphragm is pivotally supported, the

diaphragm dividing the closed chamber of the easing into two compartments, and being perforated a'nd valved, and'the casing having an inlet passage from the nozzle to a compartment on one side of the pump diaphragm and an outlet passage from the compartment on the other side of the diaphragm, and means for vibrating the diae phragm upand, down as the casing is moved over the floor surface being cleaned. 1 2 A portable suction cleaning machine,

comprising a casing supported so as to be easily moved over a surface to be cleaned, a suction nozzle carried by the casing, a diaphragm pivotally mounted within the easing and havingtwo of its side margins and one end margin flexible and fastened to the said casing, and a single handle for propelling the machine over the surface to be cleaned having operative connection with the diaphragm whereby it is actuated as the machine is moved by the handle.

Ina suction cleaning machine, a suction-creating device comprising a casing 4 supported so as to be easily moved over a surface being cleaned and formed of two sections, a suction nozzle carried by the casing, a valved diaphragm pivotallymounted within the casing and having flexible marginal portions at its two sides and one end connected with the casing, a handle for propelling the casing over the surface to be" cleaned, add a pivot common to the handle .be easily moved over a surface being cleaned, a suction nozzle carried by the casing, a pivoted suction-creating diaphragm mounted within the casing, a handle for propelling the machine, and a pivot com mon to the handle and the suction-creating diaphragm and to which both are secured.

In testimony whereof I aflix my* signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

SAMUEL B. PACK.

Witnesses i H. C. Bonn, H. B. MAOKLEY. 

